Agapanthus ellamae plant

ABSTRACT

An Agapanthus ellamae plant which is defined by its exceptional vigor and having large heads of dark blue-violet flowers on scapes well exceeding the relatively compact foliage and, when in flower, will reach an overall height of 14.3 dm, which is taller than commonly found in other types of agapanthus plants, with numerous leaves that are united at the base into a short pseudo-stem with the leaves being formed having closely spaced veins about 2 mm apart near the center of the leaves which are thick-textured but pliable and reach a maximum length of 6.5 dm having a width of 4 to 5 cm.

The present invention relates specifically to a new and distinct varietyof the Agapanthus plant family. This new cultivar is known as anAgapanthus ellamae and was discovered by me as a seedling having thepossible outcrossed parentage involving A. africanus and A. praecox ssp.orientalis. However, the seed and pollen parents can not be identifiedwith certainty. It was discovered by me in 1978 among a group ofcultivated plants, and at which time various seedlings were selectedfrom crosses of hybrid seedling plants from which I hoped to develop astock of commercial plants suitable for propagation and sale in theUnited States. The present plant has been successfully asexuallyreproduced by me, through the means of using tissue culture from theselected seedling under appropriate conditions at the TwyfordLaboratories in Santa Paula, Calif. The present variety has beenasexually reproduced during the last ten years since its discovery, andthese asexual reproductions have continuously exhibited the followingcharacteristics which clearly show that the new variety is stable.

My new and distinct cultivar, which will hereinafter be known asAgapanthus ellamae, is readily distinguishable from other Agapanthuscultivars and was suprisingly found to have exceptional vigor in itslarger than normal, dark blue-violet flowers on scapes well exceedingthe relatively compact foliage and dense floral arrangement of largebouquet-like inflorescense, with elongated leaves arranged disticouslyon a stem in two diametrically opposite rows, wherein each leaf blade isformed having closely spaced veins near the center of the blade andbecome progressively more closely spaced toward the margins thereof.Under closer observation of this unusual Agapanthus plant, thatdeveloped from the tissue culture thereof, it appeared to be quitedifferent from all the other surrounding Agapanthus plants. That is, thepresent plant is relatively taller in comparison to the generalAgapanthus in that it will reach between 12 to 14.3 dm in height withthe leaves having a lighter green color (Green Group 143 of the R.H.S.Colour Chart). Thus, with continued close observations of this uniqueplant and asexual progeny thereof, I was convinced that it represented anew and distinct variety unlike any other plant formerly known to me orpreviously reported or described in published literature, as evidencedby the combination of features which are outstanding in my new plant.

There are two accompanying drawings present in the form of full colorphotographs, one of which is employed to show overall view thereofwherein the extra long stems are defined having larger than normal, darkblue-violet flowers (Violet-Blue Group 93A) on scapes that well exceedthe relatively compact distichous foliage, One of the photographs showsthe dense floral arrangement of the large bouquet-like inflorescencewhich is defined by larger than normal, dark blue-violet flowers.

In the following description of the plant, the color names and numbersused in describing the plant are taken from The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart.

THE PLANT

General characteristics: The plant is an evergreen perennial herb withthick, heavy rhizomes forming clumps by offsets.

Dimensions: When in flower, the plant may reach a height of 14.3 dmwhich is taller than commonly found in other types of Agapanthus plants.

Rhizome: Cylindrical, branched, with many fleshy roots.

FOLIAGE

General: The leaves are numerous, arising from near the ground, erect tosomewhat spreading, and united at the base into a short pseudo-stem.

Size: Mature leaves reach a maximum length of 6.5 dm. and may reach awidth of 4-5 cm.

Color: The upper and lower surfaces are slightly dull medium green(Green Group 143) with the extreme margins being translucent pale green(Green Group 143C).

Shape: The leaves are strap-shaped (lorate), deeply channeled belowgrading to shallowly channeled above.

Venation: Apparent above, conspicuous below leaf blade. Veins closelyspaced, about 2 mm apart near the center of blade becoming progressivelymore closely spaced toward margins.

Arrangement: The leaves are distichously arranged.

Texture: The texture of the leaves are thick-textured but pliable andnot brittle, softer and sometimes hanging in the uppermost 1/4 to 1/3.Torn leaf portions bear long streaming fibers.

INFLORESCENCE

Arrangement: Flowers are numerous, crowded in false umbels atop tall,slender scapes emerging from the center of the leaves and much exceedingthem in height.

Umbel: To 22 cm across and 16 cm high.

Scapes: Scapes slender, glaucescent, and are more or less rounded incross section, reaching a maximum height of 12 dm. About 16 mm thick atthe base and 8 mm thick at apex.

Bracts: Inflorescence subtended by thin bracts which soon dry and fallaway leaving a conspicuous broad corky scar at the top of the scape.

FLOWERS

General: Flowers hypogynous, long-pedicillate, very numerous, out-facingto having a declination of approximately 40 degrees to the stem,infundubular-salverform, slightly zygomorphic, from a cylindrical baseabout 12-13 mm long.

Buds: Narrowly oblanceolate in outline.

Dimensions: Individual flowers range from 3.3-3.8 cm long and 3.5-3.9 cmacross at the apex when fully expanded.

Pedicels: Each flower in the inflorescence is borne on a thin pedicelranging in length from 6.5-6.8 cm.

Tepals: Each flower is composed of six segments arranged in two whorlsof three, a narrower outer trio and a broader inner trio. These areflaring or slightly reflexed, mostly free or touching along the edges,rarely slightly overlapping,

Pigmentation: Tepals with prominent dark (Violet-Blue Group 93A) midribsventrally from the apex becoming pale at the base of the tube. Extrememargins or edges ventrally equally deeply pigmented. Lowest 1/2 to 3/4within whitish between darker margins and midveins, grading to mediumviolet-blue (Violet-Blue Group 94A) above. Ventral surfaces are moreevenly colored.

Outer segments: Narrowly oblanceolate, with raised midrib at dorsal apexforming a heavy mucro, apical margin white-fimbriate, 3.7-3.9 cm longand 7-8 mm wide.

Inner segments: Spathulate-oblanceolate, 3.6-3.7 cm long and 10-11 mmwide.

Stamens: Six, adnate to the floral tube, declinate along lowest tepal,shorter than or equaling tepals. Filaments medium violet-blue(Violet-Blue Group 94A) above, white at base. Pollen yellow, antherslater black.

Pistil: Style includes in corolla, declinate without defined stigma,shorter than or equaling the shortest filament, pale violet-blue(Violet-Blue Group 94A) above, white below, about 2.0-2.1 cm long. Ovarygreenish-yellow, trigonous, 8.5-9.0 mm long by 3 mm broad at apex.

Fruits: Not seen.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Agapanthus plant substantiallyas shown and described characterized by its ability to reach a height of14.3 dm when in flower which includes slender glaucesent scapes thatreach to a maximum height of 12 dm having a hardy upright growth habitalong with prominent dark blue-violet flowers being slightly zygomorphicfrom the cylindrical base and with each flower being composed of sixsegments arranged in two whorls of three defined by a narrower outerpair, wherein the flowers range from 3.3 to 3.8 cm long and 3.5 to 3.9cm across at the apex when fully expanded, with leaves being formedhaving veins closely spaced about 2 mm apart near the center of theleaves which are thick-textured but pliable and reach a maximum lengthof 6.5 dm having a width of 4 to 5 cm.